Ze Plane!

Published: 4/23/2013

Hervé Villechaize(Wikimedia Commons)

Seventy years ago today, a TV icon was born – one we knew best as Tattoo.

If you were anywhere near a television in the late 1970s or early ‘80s, you’re probably familiar with the catchphrase, “Ze plane! Ze plane!” For seven seasons from 1977 to 1984, Hervé Villechaize played Tattoo, the sidekick on Aaron Spelling’s Fantasy Island. Indeed, for many viewers, Villechaize was Fantasy Island, more so even than his top-billed costar, Ricardo Montalban, who played “ze boss,” Mr. Roarke. With his energy and enthusiasm – not to mention his exotic (French) accent and gravelly voice – Tattoo charmed his way into the hearts of fans who tuned in each week to be transported to an island where anything could happen.